New Evidence Suggests Humans Used Tobacco 12,000 Years Ago
2021-10-25
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1Scientists have discovered new evidence that humans used tobacco at least 12,000 years ago.
2The evidence was found by an archaeological team at a site in a desert in the western American state of Utah.
3The dig centered on an ancient fireplace built by a group of hunter-gatherers.
4The scientists found four burned seeds of a wild tobacco plant along with other objects.
5The discovery is reported to be the oldest evidence of tobacco use.
6Among other objects found at the Utah site were stone tools and bird bones.
7The scientists believe the birds had been food for the community.
8Until now, the earliest documented use of tobacco was from a finding of the drug nicotine inside an ancient pipe in Alabama, a southern state.
9The pipe, used for smoking, dated back 3,300 years ago.
10The new find was reported in a study that appeared in the scientific publication Nature Human Behavior.
11The researchers believe the group may have smoked the tobacco or possibly put pieces of the plant in their mouths.
12They think the users were seeking the pleasant effects nicotine produces in the body.
13The first known tobacco use is linked to native communities in North and South America.
14Its use spread worldwide following the arrival of Europeans more than five centuries ago.
15Today, tobacco represents a worldwide public health crisis.
16The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there are 1.3 billion tobacco users across the world.
17The WHO blames tobacco use for more than 8 million deaths each year.
18Daron Duke is an archaeologist with the Far Western Anthropological Research Group in Nevada.
19He was the lead writer of the study.
20Duke told Reuters news agency that worldwide, he considers tobacco "the king of intoxicant plants."
21"And now we can directly trace its cultural roots to the Ice Age," he added.
22The seeds belonged to a wild kind of desert tobacco called Nicotiana attenuata, which still grows in the area.
23"This species was never domesticated but is used by indigenous people in the (area) to this day," Duke said.
24Scientists say the area was likely marshland at the time the fireplace was used.
25The area had a cool climate during the Ice Age period.
26The remains of the fire were found in areas where wind has been blowing surface material away since the marshland fully dried up about 9,500 years ago.
27"We know very little about their culture," Duke said of the hunter-gatherers.
28The most interesting part of the find, he said, is the "social window it gives to a simple activity in an undocumented past."
29"My imagination runs wild," he added.
30Duke said tobacco domestication happened thousands of years later elsewhere on the continent, for example in the Southwestern and Southeastern United States and in Mexico.
31Some researchers have theorized that tobacco may have been the first plant domesticated in North America.
32They believe this happened because of the substance's sociocultural effects rather than for food purposes.
33Duke said he thinks the find provides clear evidence that the hunter-gatherers were experienced growers of tobacco long before food requirements later drove investments in agriculture.
34I'm Bryan Lynn.
1Scientists have discovered new evidence that humans used tobacco at least 12,000 years ago. 2The evidence was found by an archaeological team at a site in a desert in the western American state of Utah. The dig centered on an ancient fireplace built by a group of hunter-gatherers. The scientists found four burned seeds of a wild tobacco plant along with other objects. 3The discovery is reported to be the oldest evidence of tobacco use. Among other objects found at the Utah site were stone tools and bird bones. The scientists believe the birds had been food for the community. 4Until now, the earliest documented use of tobacco was from a finding of the drug nicotine inside an ancient pipe in Alabama, a southern state. The pipe, used for smoking, dated back 3,300 years ago. 5The new find was reported in a study that appeared in the scientific publication Nature Human Behavior. 6The researchers believe the group may have smoked the tobacco or possibly put pieces of the plant in their mouths. They think the users were seeking the pleasant effects nicotine produces in the body. 7The first known tobacco use is linked to native communities in North and South America. Its use spread worldwide following the arrival of Europeans more than five centuries ago. 8Today, tobacco represents a worldwide public health crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there are 1.3 billion tobacco users across the world. The WHO blames tobacco use for more than 8 million deaths each year. 9Daron Duke is an archaeologist with the Far Western Anthropological Research Group in Nevada. He was the lead writer of the study. Duke told Reuters news agency that worldwide, he considers tobacco "the king of intoxicant plants." 10"And now we can directly trace its cultural roots to the Ice Age," he added. 11The seeds belonged to a wild kind of desert tobacco called Nicotiana attenuata, which still grows in the area. "This species was never domesticated but is used by indigenous people in the (area) to this day," Duke said. 12Scientists say the area was likely marshland at the time the fireplace was used. The area had a cool climate during the Ice Age period. 13The remains of the fire were found in areas where wind has been blowing surface material away since the marshland fully dried up about 9,500 years ago. 14"We know very little about their culture," Duke said of the hunter-gatherers. The most interesting part of the find, he said, is the "social window it gives to a simple activity in an undocumented past." 15"My imagination runs wild," he added. 16Duke said tobacco domestication happened thousands of years later elsewhere on the continent, for example in the Southwestern and Southeastern United States and in Mexico. 17Some researchers have theorized that tobacco may have been the first plant domesticated in North America. They believe this happened because of the substance's sociocultural effects rather than for food purposes. 18Duke said he thinks the find provides clear evidence that the hunter-gatherers were experienced growers of tobacco long before food requirements later drove investments in agriculture. 19I'm Bryan Lynn. 20Reuters and Nature reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. Cay Weaver was the editor. 21We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. 22______________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24archaeological - adj. of, or related to, archaeology, a science that deals with the history of human life and activities. 25intoxicant - n. a substance, such as alcohol, that produces feelings of pleasure or happiness 26domesticate - v. to bring animals or plants under human control in order to provide food, power or company 27marshland - n. an area of soft and wet land 28indigenous - adj. relating to the people who originally lived in a